Press Release
by Shenlong Girl
Summary: An AU escapade after the Doom Tree Saga. The Scouts are Unmasked, and they have a few decisions to make.


Title: Press Release  
  
Disclaimer: Unless you didn't know, I don't own Sailor Moon! Or any other  
  
commercial whatever I happen to mention. No harm meant, don't sue.  
  
Author's note: This takes place after the Doom Tree saga, but before the  
  
Negamoon Family, a kind of alternate universe fiction. The idea came to me  
  
around 12:45 AM one morning. The background may mesh with the comic  
  
series a bit. It starts...  
  
It had been an awful battle.  
  
The scouts had banded together behind Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask to combine energy for the final attack, and afterwards they'd all collapsed.  
  
Oddly, Sailor Moon's head ended up on Tuxedo Mask's chest (go figure).  
  
Now, this happened near the Tokyo Tower (the Eiffel-looking structure). Everyone was torn up; Tuxedo Mask's hat had been thrown, his mask was askew, and everyone's clothes had seen better days.  
  
The motley group all awoke to the chattering of a crowd, the flash of cameras, and the keening wail of ambulance sirens.  
  
"AHHHH!"  
  
"What the-"  
  
"Oh, &#!%..."  
  
"I didn't know you knew that word, Minako- I mean Venus!"  
  
"I'm bleeding."  
  
Thus were the words of the four inner scouts (isn't Jupiter an outer planet? Or did they need to use the magical number five everyone loves so much?! Ronin Warriors, Gundam Pilots...) and Tuxedo. Then they noticed Sailor Moon, still unconscious.  
  
*Not again,* thought Rei as Tuxedo Mask sat bolt upright, knocking his goggles totally off. Not that he noticed.  
  
"Hey! That's Mamoru Chiba from my World Lit. class," someone called as said guy tried to wake his girl with the customary shake and, "Usa-ko!"  
  
The press, of course, got all of this, and with three names it wasn't hard to gather who the six were while they were in the hospital. They kept insisting that they'd be fine with rest. All of them had been through this kinda stuff before, after all, just not with news coverage.  
  
In the hospital, our heroes watched interviews with their friends and classmates, as well as interesting rumors, in horror. Some rumors were true, like that Venus was the original Sailor V and that Mamoru was going out with Usagi. Others were very false...  
  
"What?! How could they think that Mamoru's having an affair with me?" wailed Ami.  
  
An unhappy Makoto dryly commented, "At least they're not accusing you of using your lightening powers to get back at an old principal. That happened to him a month ago; he expelled me two years ago! What'd be the point?"  
  
The scouts and Tuxedo were all in their normal clothes (not hospital gowns). At first they had refused to morph out of their uniforms, but upon learning that they no longer had secret identities it seemed pointless. They had also scored a large room to share.  
  
A sizable group of nurses and staff trouped in, asking for autographs. So much for professionalism, but who could blame them? Minako couldn't help but be more pleased than annoyed; she was an idol as herself! Not just V or Venus! Everyone else was at least flattered. One should mention that Luna and Artemis were there with their caretakers and that they had disclosed the fact that they could talk to the public.  
  
Anyway, the six were allowed visitors that they approved, so all of their parents, Grandpa, Motoki (Andrew), Yuuichirou (Chad), Umino (Melvin), and Naru (Molly) were coming in soon. Oh boy.  
  
"Oh, honey, I'm so glad you're okay! Is it true that you're going out with that college dream boat?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.  
  
Blushing and staring at her twiddling thumbs, Usagi answered, "Well, yeah... He's really nice and-"  
  
"WHAAAT?!?!" her dad exclaimed with huge eyes and a cross-vein popping up on his forehead.  
  
"Um..." the couple said in unison, with huge sweatdrops and one hand behind their heads.  
  
"Darn, Ami, I'd hoped he was yours," Ami's mom teased. She'd been their chief doctor, but had really been too busy to talk much.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
Grandpa was almost in tears, "I knew my granddaughter would amount to something great! I'm so proud," he was nearly suffocating poor Rei, who was turning rather blue.  
  
"Gosh, Rei, it all makes sense now! All of those monsters I've seen were real, and you've always saved me," Yuuichirou added, making Rei blush (after she freed herself from the stranglehold). He had hearts for eyes.  
  
"We finally get it all!" announced Naru, Umino, and Motoki.  
  
"A great cook, house-keeper, and a superhero! The only thing more I could ask of a daughter would be good grades... or you could've told me of this! The hours I spent worrying and the ones you spent grounded could have been avoided."  
  
"Why, yeah! Why didn't you tell us?" Minako's dad wanted to know. This inspired other visitors to want answers as well, and the scouts could do little more than look like deer in headlights as the mood began to grow dark.  
  
"Hold it!" shouted Luna. Half of the non-superheroes in the room jumped, not used to talking cats.  
  
Artemis continued, "As their trainers and mentors, we're to blame. We'll explain everything."  
  
"A long time ago, in a galaxy- wait, wrong intro..." The cats went on to tell of the splendors of life before all was destroyed, and humans had to restart their development. They told of how the six were heirs of their own respective planets' royal family, and how the Moon Kingdom ruled all.  
  
Artemis gently explained (for Mr. Tsukino's sake, very gently) the forbidden love between Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion.  
  
Finally, Luna got to the Negaverse part and told about the crystal and Queen Serenity. Usagi's parents were unhappy to learn that they weren't Usagi's parents in that life.  
  
The six, of course, barely listened to the old story, and they instead gauged the visitors' reactions. A very few were skeptical, but most had, "how sad" expressions on, ready to believe anything. Then it was time for the story of the six's reborn selves.  
  
"Now, I found Minako about a year before Luna found Usagi-" he started, but was cut off by a nurse, "Visiting hours are over, but the patients are ready to be released."  
  
"How much do we owe you?"  
  
"Oh, this is free for protectors of the city! The pain was for us, after all!" To avoid the press, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask escaped out the widow and across rooftops to a place the Mizunos knew of, an abandoned warehouse. The others would use their cars.  
  
"Good thing nobody knows we're here," mentioned Ami, "I don't like reporters."  
  
"We'll have to thank your parents, Ami... You know, we need to release some sort of statement," added Venus.  
  
"....."  
  
"... Anyway, they all seemed to like our transformation sequences!" said Rei, changing the subject. Minako sighed and let it go for the moment.  
  
"Guys, we're forgetting something. What's our next move?" Makoto pressed.  
  
"Geez, can we live at home anymore? Maybe we'll have to get a secret base or something," Usagi said.  
  
After some nervous laughter all around, Ami mentioned the fact that they had to go to school. They discussed the burden on their parents of living with superheroes. And, finally, what to do about the paparazzi. Depresing, huh?  
  
Mamoru stepped foreward with, "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together."  
  
"Right," agreed Usagi, and the two got googly eyes.  
  
*Oh, no. They're at it again,* everyone else had time to think before Usagi and Mamoru were kissing, and people were coming in the door.  
  
"Hey, Dad! Usagi's gettin' kissed!" Shingo (Sammy) called. He'd been picked up on the way there. The couple separated, but too late to not be caught by Mr. Tsukino.  
  
"Forget the cow, guys. My pop's likely to have the whole herd!" Usagi had a face that said, 'I know it's coming, but make it quick!' Her father, however, was surprisingly calm.  
  
"I realize that you're in love and will probably get married one day, but THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU LICENSE TO PUSH IT NOW!" The two were knocked over by the force of his yell, but he calmed again immediately.  
  
"Is that clear?"  
  
"Uh-" Usagi started; Mamoru interrupted, "Now listen, we're going to talk later, you and me, Mister."  
  
"Mamo-chan! Are you..?" Usagi asked tentatively.  
  
"I'll take care of this one, Princess."  
  
Everyone in the room: "....."  
  
"Gosh, it's quiet in here," a brown-haired figure stated as he walked in.  
  
"Ryo! Why ever are you here?" Ami asked as she ran up to him and hugged him. He allowed himself a small smile.  
  
"I am a psychic, after all. I got myself here as soon as I had the vision of your, er, unmasking. My powers led me straight here."  
  
"Dude," Yuuichirou said, "a psychic too?"  
  
"Wow, this is sooo cool! By the way, everyone explained your past lives. I can't wait to here about your adventures in this one," Shingo admonished.  
  
"I think we should follow Mako-chan's advice and think of our next move," said Minako  
  
"Right!" the six agreed in unison. Everyone else sweatdropped.  
  
"Um, do you guys do that often?" Motoki asked. The scouts and Mamoru (henceforth to be known as the Planet Power Six... ::cough:: Can you do better?!) looked confused.  
  
"Do what?" Rei asked.  
  
"Say things in unison like you did."  
  
"Is that unusual?" the Planet Power Six(PPS) asked together. There was a wave of facefaults.  
  
"Er, nevermind... So, about that next move!" Motoki hurriedly changed the subject.  
  
"Oh. Well, we were discussing the burdens we'd bring with living at home. Our families and friends are targeted often enough without the villains knowing where we live," Usagi explained.  
  
"It didn't look like you were 'discussing' anything when we came in," Shingo teased, earning some snickers and at least two dirty looks.  
  
"Well, anyway, tell me about it," Naru agreed, " Do your enemies tend to have a grudge against me, or what is it?"  
  
"Poor Naru," sympathized Mrs. Tsukino.  
  
Ami persisted, "But, seriously, we'd never forgive ourselves if something permanent happened!" At this point, everyone there just stared at her until she realized that she still had one arm about Ryo's neck. Ami blushed and let go at her mom's especially insistent gaze.  
  
"Hey, is this superhero thing the reason you quit volleyball?"  
  
"You guessed it, Dad. I really miss it though," Minako said wistfully.  
  
"Can we not stay on the subject?!" Mamoru asked.  
  
"When's our history test?" Makoto wanted to know.  
  
"Ahhhh!"  
  
"Okay, so we're going to stay here until this calms down. The adults will get our stuff, some food, and some bedding. Tomorrow, we'll publicly thank the city for the medical treatment and ask to be treated as 'normal people' at school, work, etc., and we'll go to school. Is that it?" Mamoru finished. Rei raised her hand as he looked around.  
  
"What'd I forget?"  
  
"We should agree to one private interview, to satisfy a few people. And Minako will rejoin the volleyball team with the coach's new understanding of her... random time restraints?" Minako was grinning from ear to ear at Rei's reminder.  
  
"Well put. Anything else?"  
  
"Yes. I don't want my daughter alone in a place, overnight, with HIM!" Mr. Tsukino persisted.  
  
"That's it. Come on, we're talking, now."  
  
"What?! Hey! Let me go! I'm not going anywhere with you!" The two went of to "chat." Ryo cleared his throat.  
  
"Umm... I have no place to go. And my father needs to know where I am."  
  
Ami smiled at him sweetly, "You can stay here with us. Why didn't you tell your dad you were here?"  
  
"I only thought of getting here, to you. He's bound to let me stay until he travels near here, though. He'll send me my stuff. You don't mind?"  
  
"Of course not!" Ami enthused.  
  
*They're cuter than a pair of kittens, honestly, I'm getting sick!* someone thought.  
  
Just then, a satisfied Mamoru and a disgruntled, but aquiescent, Mr. Tsukino returned.  
  
The Next Morning...  
  
Everyone was ready for school. Then everyone who'd stayed at the now cozy warehouse (excluding Ryo, who went ahead to register at school) transformed. Soon, the PPS was in a market square. They had waited for cameras to come to make their speech, and now it was time.  
  
"First, we'd like to thank the city for the medical treatment we recieved after our last battle," Tuxedo Mask started with a flourish. Sailor Moon stepped forward.  
  
"We'd like to thank all of our supporters out in Tokyo, but also to ask the police to leave big evil to us." Sailor Venus took her place and was about to say something, when four women and one red-headed man appeared in the square before them.  
  
"What the hell?! The Sailor Senshi never made any public speaches in the past we're headed to," the man exclaimed. A dark-haired woman with a hairstyle that reminded one of cat ears put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Maybe we're in the wrong dimension, Rubeus."  
  
"Baka Wise-Man! And he's supposed to be so powerful! I can't believe-" the green-haired woman was cut off by a booming voice coming out of thin air. Were those upside down, black crescent moons on their heads?  
  
"Silence, Prizma! So I made a mistake; no one is perfect. That, however, gives you no right to insult me!" The one called Prizma was hit with a burning bolt of some kind. Where did it come from?  
  
"YAAAH!"  
  
"Alright, let's give it another go, Wise-Man," a woman with a white- blonde braid suggested.  
  
"Okay..." There was a small "pfft" sound as the five disappeared, Prizma still nursing her burn.  
  
"....?"  
  
"What the heck was that?"  
  
"Umm..."  
  
"Well, it's over! We'll edit that out of the film, so go on!" a reporter urged.  
  
Venus shook her head before continuing, "Finally, we ask to be treated as everyday people, and we ask to be- I mean this politely- left alone, to our work, schooling, etc.,"  
  
"Oh, and we'll do an interview for... your station!" Ami added, randomly picking a reporter.  
  
"Yippee!"  
  
"Now, if you'll excuse them, our girls have to get to school. Tuxedo, too," mentioned Artemis.  
  
"Oh, crap! We're late!"  
  
"Yeah Minako, us two especially. You four don't have to go as far!" Rei felt the need to mention. Everyone dramatically leapt into the air, demorphed, and the group split into four directions.  
  
"What about a time for the interview?!" the reporter called hysterically. Luna and Artemis stepped forward.  
  
"We'll schedule it for them," Luna assured the man.  
  
"Ooookay..."  
  
The Interview  
  
"Ladies and gentleman, it's time for our interview with the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask, but first we'll once more tell you their real names with a brief description of them," a nondescript reporter informed his audience. After he gave the names and more or less accurate descriptions, he reminded everyone that they would show this again later that night, and again the next day, for those who would miss it.  
  
"Now we go live to Jenny Rent and our special guests!" The view switched to a comfortable enough looking room with our heroes and the cats sharing two couches, and the reporter had a chair. She gave a practiced smile.  
  
"Today we're interviewing Tokyo's best and only group of superheroes ((various anime characters sitting at home watching this: "Hey!")) Let's start, shall we?  
  
"When did each of you start being what you are?"  
  
They managed to tell their order of V, Moon, Mask, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter without making a reference to their past lives.  
  
"So, you were Sailor V!" exclaimed Jenny. The interview went on for a bit with exciting stories and some personal questions. Then came the questions of rumors. Around two minutes into this discussion, Jenny brought up some of the more interesting ones.  
  
"Come again?" said Usagi. Jenny happily repeated herself.  
  
"Have any of you used your powers for personal gain or revenge- you know, in a bad way?" The PPS looked insulted, but gave a civil answer.  
  
"So, you didn't get back at any of your old principals, Makoto?"  
  
"No, I'd never do that." Then came a real whopper.  
  
"Who's your leader?" There was a moment of silence.  
  
Mamoru answered, "Each has his or her own talents to add to the group, there is no leader. For instance, Usagi holds us together and finishes the enemy, Minako thinks clearly and strategically, Mako-chan is the best up-close fighter, Ami is the main brain, Rei offers her spiritual help with her spell papers, and I boost confidence and do good sneak attacks, which can often turn battles."  
  
"He's a real suprise life saver," Rei confirmed.  
  
"We should mention, however,"Ami added, "that no one is too very lacking in any of these areas."  
  
"That's good. So, Mamoru, what's it like to be the only guy? And on older one at that?" Jenny inquired. She was barely hiding a smirk.  
  
"Umm... well..." he needed time to think about this answer. His friends chuckled at his plight.  
  
"Well, girls, let's give him time to think. How do you feel about it?" The five scouts sweatdropped.  
  
"Okay, Mamo-chan is mine. Unconditionally. Right, Mamo-chan?" Usagi said confidently.  
  
"Of course. Always," Mamoru affirmed sweetly. Jenny looked slightly dissapointed and a little sick. She then, however, pressed the previous issue with Mamoru.  
  
"So, what was your answer?"  
  
"We're all team- members here. Except when one of us is brainwashed by evil, or unable to be there or transform."  
  
"That happens often?" Jenny asked, intrigued.  
  
"Oh, well, doesn't it happen to most heroes? Mamoru was wounded almost mortally and was kidnapped. When we next saw him, he tried to kill us and his eyes had this weird glowing, heartless quality," Ami informed her.  
  
"And you're not mad or distrustful toward him now?" The PPS looked faintly surprised at the thought.  
  
"Of course not, he wasn't under his own control, at the time. It's all water under the bridge now," Makoto said. Mamoru looked thankful for the swift affirmation of trust. Just then, there was a large explosion, and the cameras went of the air.  
  
Quick flash to the Mizuno household, where everyone was watching the interview: Everyone was worried; some panicked. What was going on? It was not like they could turn on the news and find out!  
  
"Quick, let's get there and see what's what!" Yuuichirou suggested. The unhappy group rushed to their rides and tried to keep away from conversation. Except for Shingo...  
  
"Do ya think anyone died? What do you think caused the explosion? Terrorist or youma? Huh?"  
  
Back at the news building, some police were ushering civilians out (they didn't just magically disappear like they usually do) while a few people resisted. They wanted to watch, but too bad. And the explosion? Fans.  
  
There was a huge gaping hole in the wall where beings leapt through, screeching like banshees. The hole was like a portal from the dimension where the darkest, scariest, evilest beings dwelled; it was a vaguely round, blackened with the ashes of the beings' sanity. The fans circled the now cut off scouts like furies readying for the attack.  
  
"Ah... er- I don't think we can take care of this as normal humans, guys," Minako said. The fact that THE scouts and THE Tuxedo Mask were transforming before their eyes kept the inhuman... humans spellbound and imobile until it was too late.  
  
"Venus Love-me Chain!" The attack captured a large amount of the fans after everyone had leapt out of the circle. It held them so as not to harm them... much.  
  
"It burns! But we love you! Marry me!" The rest were stuck in a ring of fire until the authorities were able to take them in. Mercury's power doused the flames.  
  
Back at the Warehouse  
  
"Geez, what a disaster!" Rei said unhappily.  
  
"The interview was alright until the fans came," Ami corrrected.  
  
"True..." Everyone sighed.  
  
"I guess we're staying here permanantly?" Minako asked. Ami nodded.  
  
"My mom privately bought it so no one can find out that we own it." Usagi decided to look at the bright side.  
  
"I guess we'll decorate it! Some rugs and curtains would be a good place to start," she said enthusiastically. Everyone agreed and began to plan their new life.  
  
The End... for now. I might write a sequel! 


End file.
